‘No Way’: George W. Bush Used ‘Art Therapy’ to Express His Real Feelings About Trump—and the Result Was Brutal
Former president George W. Bush has painted presidents, prime ministers, military veterans, and immigrants.
However, one subject apparently inspired a portrait too rough for public consumption.
The canvas has never been unveiled, photographed, or quietly leaked for public inspection. That secrecy has only made people more curious about what Bush put on it.
The former president has proudly displayed much of the artwork he created after leaving the White House in 2009.
His most mysterious canvas remains hidden, leaving the public to wonder what — or who — could make him suddenly turn shy.
According to journalist Jacob Weisberg, that subject is Donald Trump. Bush reportedly “painted a really ugly picture of Trump, which he won’t show to anybody.”
The revelation appears in Weisberg’s new book, “Profiles in Cowardice: A Study of Collaboration in the Trump Era,” according to The Daily Beast.
Weisberg described the painting as a form of “art therapy.” He suggested that Bush uses his brush to express political feelings he refuses to state publicly.
With no photograph available, curious readers were left to imagine just how merciless Bush’s brush may have been.
“Its’ impossible to paint a picture of a dogpile that doesn’t look like a dogpile,” one Yahoo! News reader wrote.
Another said, “There’s no hiding fat and ugly. He’s a pig wearing lipstick, orange cake makeup and a bad combover held down by a pound of hairspray. And he thinks he’s attractive? A manly man. He believes everything Natalie tells him, I guess.”
Someone else joked, “What’s he complaining about? The horns were removed.”
“Lol. That’s a great painting. he looks like a stuffed suit. Lol x 2. His menancing look is laughable, the dude is a draft dodger. A cow ard,” another person added.
One reader kept the request simple: “Wish George W would show the world.”
Another wrote, “Overweight and unattractive. Nothing close to how he portraits himself in AI generated pics. Zero redeeming qualities.”
A Daily Beast reader defended Bush’s decision to keep the canvas private, writing, “Bush has no obligation to share what he does in his private life and shouldn’t be criticized for keeping a painting to himself.”
Bush’s artistic résumé makes the secrecy even more intriguing. He has painted world leaders before taking a stab at the current president.
His 2014 exhibition, “The Art of Leadership: A President’s Personal Diplomacy,” featured portraits of international figures, including U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Dalai Lama and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, according to Time.
The exhibit examined the relationships Bush developed with foreign leaders during his presidency. Those paintings went on public display at the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas.
Bush more recently turned his attention to service members.
His “Portraits of Courage” collection includes 66 paintings and a four-panel mural honoring post-9/11 veterans whom he personally came to know. Each portrait is accompanied by the veteran’s story.
The collection is currently displayed at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio, through Dec. 31. Unlike the the former reality star’s painting, those works were created to honor their subjects rather than process Bush’s private frustrations.
Bush also has become part of an informal fraternity with former Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Joe Biden. The four recently appeared together at Ground Zero for the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
They reportedly have maintained private channels to discuss national security and the shared weight of presidential decisions. The alliance crosses party lines and has grown through years of public ceremonies and private conversations.
Bush’s friendship with Michelle Obama has provided lighter moments. The unlikely pair has shared hugs, laughs and even mints at public events. Bush once said their friendship surprises people because Americans have become too politically polarized to imagine such a bond.
That warmth apparently has not extended to Trump’s canvas. Until Bush changes his mind, the portrait will remain political art’s most closely guarded jump scare.